Fw: What to expect as El Niño approaches

[Bill Sabey]

Theodore Keeping, a wildfire researcher at the University of Reading in England, said firefighters in those regions are bracing for a severe year, potentially facing some of the most damaging fire conditions seen in recent history. He noted that the combination of El Niño on top of ongoing warming has driven a “whiplash” between extreme moisture and extreme drought in some regions. Grasses and brush thrive during heavy rains, then dry out quickly when the heat returns, turning into combustible fuel.
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Keeping said that a strong El Niño “can have a major effect on wildfire risk” appearing later this year, which could increase the likelihood of severe hot and dry conditions in Australia, as well as the northwestern U.S. and Canada, and the Amazon rainforest. 

Even if El Niño leads to “very extreme conditions later this year, it’s not a reason to freak out,” Otto said. “It comes and goes. Climate change, by contrast, gets worse and worse and worse as long as we do not stop burning fossil fuels. So climate change is the reason to freak out.”

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Subject: What to expect as El Niño approaches

Go behind the scenes with senior editor Corey Mitchell and reporter Bob Berwyn as they break down what to expect from the looming El Niño. Scientists said this week that a developing El Niño is likely to amplify heatwaves, droughts and floods this year. But it’s not the biggest culprit of climate extremes. The consequences of a moderate or strong El Niño today are more damaging than those of similar events just a few decades ago because of the long-term warming caused by burning fossil fuels. Bob, who covers climate science and international climate policy for ICN, explains what El Niño is and how it changes weather around the world, whether we’re now entering a period when record-breaking weather becomes normal, and if the impacts of El Niño this year could be permanent. Watch the video Read the story Explore ICN’s reporting on climate science ICN Sunday Morning is available as a podcast! Listen and subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and iHeart. Reader donations make our work possible. If you’d like to support our nonprofit newsroom, please give now. 👀 Looking for More Climate News?  🟢 Visit our website for the latest.  🟡 Sign up for more newsletters, including Today's Climate on Tuesdays and Inside Clean Energy on Thursdays. ⚫️ Follow us on Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn and Bluesky. 🔴 Have a tip or story idea? Contact us. Copyright © 2025 Inside Climate News, All rights reserved. Our mailing address: Inside Climate News 26 Court Street Suite #1617 Brooklyn, NY 11242

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